Challenges and New Trends for Nonprofit Accountability in Russia

Abstract

Nonprofit accountability in Russia is becoming increasingly important as nonprofit organizations become more open delivering more social services, public participation increases and third sector institutions evolve. In this paper authors demonstrate accountability in its different dimensions as it is shaped by the specific Russian social, economic and political environment. Supportive empirical data available from the annual Monitoring of the State of Russian Civil Society is used to argue that Russian nonprofits face contradictions between “accountability for” and “accountability to” different stakeholders. These contradictions are a challenge requiring new legislation and behavioral ethics which could balance the sector’s heterogeneity. In conclusion a two-tier regulatory framework is suggested.

Keywords: Russia, nonprofit, accountability, monitoring

JEL Classification: L3, L31, L38